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Ambipom G: The Dragonslaying Monkey

Written by Willy Goebel | January 7, 2010 | 53 comments | 2,171 views | Rating: 0

As Woodstock said in his recent review of Dialga G LV.X, Dialga G LV.X was relatively unsuccessful until recently. This is due to the rise of a single card: Garchomp C LV.X. This card is used primarily for its ability to heal all Pokemon SP. However, it’s sniping attack is used often also, and Ambipom G acts as a brilliant counter to this attack.

So for three Energy, Garchomp C LV.X can use Dragon Rush to snipe for eighty, then discard two Energies. In most cases, this means that Garchomp C LV.X will have one Energy Gain and two Energies (or Double Colorless Energy when that is released in the next set, can’t WAIT for that card!) on it. If Garchomp C. LV.X uses Dragon Rush, it will discard two of the Energies attached to it, which is only two, since Energy Gain only “reduces the cost of the attack” and is not technically an Energy. Thus, Garchomp C LV.X has no Energy attached to it during your next turn. This is where Ambipom G can shine.

Play Ambipom G from your hand along with an Energy Gain. Then you can either attach an Energy to it or transfer one with Bronzong G’s Galactic Switch. Thus, the two Energy requirement for Ambipom G’s Snap Attack is fulfilled. Snap attack does 60 damage when the Defending Pokemon has no Energy attached to it. However, Garchomp C LV.X’s double Weakness to Colorless makes this attack a OHKO. This is why I believe at least 1 Ambipom G should be included in every SP Deck.

Image Credits: PokeBeach, Pokegym, and Pokemon Paradijs

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Renfield89

Teched this already numerous weekends.

Other places where it has come in handy: OHKOs Chatot MD, so that one of your main attackers doens’t have to take the hit, and if you face Dialga G, moving its only Metal during Deafen is very frustrating if an Azelf, Claydol, etc. is in play and cannot be Guarded early.
Renfield89

Teched this already numerous weekends.

Other places where it has come in handy: OHKOs Chatot MD, so that one of your main attackers doens’t have to take the hit, and if you face Dialga G, moving its only Metal during Deafen is very frustrating if an Azelf, Claydol, etc. is in play and cannot be Guarded early.
Ben

Cheesy title, but I was very surprised at the usefulness of this card.
Great Article!
Ben

Cheesy title, but I was very surprised at the usefulness of this card.
Great Article!
http://www.adamcapriola.com/ Adam Capriola

Awesome article! Short and to the point, but a great tip.
http://www.sixprizes.com Adam

Awesome article! Short and to the point, but a great tip.
cpeterik

Also, I want to point out that it is now an official ruling that if you use “Tail Code” to transfer an energy from the defending Pokemon to a GUARDed benched Pokemon, that energy is considered a “forced discard”. Check the professor ruling on the PokeGym forums and look for it in the compendium very soon.
cpeterik

Also, I want to point out that it is now an official ruling that if you use “Tail Code” to transfer an energy from the defending Pokemon to a GUARDed benched Pokemon, that energy is considered a “forced discard”. Check the professor ruling on the PokeGym forums and look for it in the compendium very soon.
http://www.adamcapriola.com/ Adam Capriola

Oh wow that’s pretty cool, thanks for letting us know Colin.

cpeterik

Yeah, it makes this guy even more of a useful tech against SP. Either force the discard or move to a non-SP so Bronzong can’t “Galactic Switch” it.
As Willy G. mentioned, you gotta keep this guy a surprise. If your opponent knows you have it, they are going to ‘hard build’ Garchomp and get around your scheme.

http://www.sixprizes.com Adam

Oh wow that’s pretty cool, thanks for letting us know Colin.

cpeterik

Yeah, it makes this guy even more of a useful tech against SP. Either force the discard or move to a non-SP so Bronzong can’t “Galactic Switch” it.
As Willy G. mentioned, you gotta keep this guy a surprise. If your opponent knows you have it, they are going to ‘hard build’ Garchomp and get around your scheme.

http://pokemex.com/ ABSOLUTION

wow! that’s unbelieveable, i’m going to print that rule and join Ambipom G to my deck!
thanks!
http://pokemex.com ABSOLUTION

wow! that’s unbelieveable, i’m going to print that rule and join Ambipom G to my deck!
thanks!
Woodstock

I was looking at this card earlier this month and didn’t think it was very useful for an SP deck. You’ve convinced me though Willy, seeing as the popular play around my area is either Dialga G/Garchomp C or Luxray GL/Garchomp C.

That ruling on the Unown G is amazing as well, I’m going to have to check that out just to confirm! I bet I can get a lot of people on that at my next CC haha :)
Woodstock

I was looking at this card earlier this month and didn’t think it was very useful for an SP deck. You’ve convinced me though Willy, seeing as the popular play around my area is either Dialga G/Garchomp C or Luxray GL/Garchomp C.

That ruling on the Unown G is amazing as well, I’m going to have to check that out just to confirm! I bet I can get a lot of people on that at my next CC haha :)
Vyse

I’m not surprised with this card. I was planning to use this card in my deck Discard energy. Now with this article I see that may be more useful than I thought. Great article. ^.^
Vyse

I’m not surprised with this card. I was planning to use this card in my deck Discard energy. Now with this article I see that may be more useful than I thought. Great article. ^.^
Aoi Hoshihiro-Stroup

For shiggity this guy’s way to good, this Team Galactic Commander has got some of the tech-iest SP pokemon!
Aoi Hoshihiro-Stroup

For shiggity this guy’s way to good, this Team Galactic Commander has got some of the tech-iest SP pokemon!
pikkdogs

People have been using this card since it came out last summer.

It looked like bad then, it still does now.

Yes you cand load it in one turn and then do 60 damage if there is no energy. But how often is the defending pokemon not going to have energy attached. Like you said Garchomp is one example, but it is not likely. I guess this is a decent tech in a blazeray deck, to get back a kill once they snipe out blaziken, but this doesnt address the problem of hitting dialga, it just lets you get 1 kill. 1 Kill will get you nowhere, you need 6.

There also is gyrados sf that has no energy attached to it. But gyrados has 130 Hp, that means even if they dont attach an energy when they see ambipom, and if you waste a crobat on this move, it will still take you 2 turns to knock him out, just not fast enough in this format. And it would take 3 if gyrados has an expert belt, which is the norm.

Willy G.

Pikkdogs,
Although Garchomp is the primary reason to play this card, it absolutely has other applications. As Renfield89 said: “OHKOs Chatot MD, so that one of your main attackers doens’t have to take the hit, and if you face Dialga G, moving its only Metal during Deafen is very frustrating”.
One of Ambipom G’s best targets is Dialga G, for his ability to move Dialga’s Metal Energies. Ambipom becomes even better with the new rule that cpeterik mentioned, which is that “if you use “Tail Code” to transfer an energy from the defending Pokemon to a GUARDed benched Pokemon, that energy is considered a ‘forced discard’”.
This makes Ambipom G priceless against Dialga/Garchomp. OHKO Garchomp C Lv.X after it uses Dragon Rush, then when they bring out Dialga, keep transferring it’s Metals to a GUARDED guy and thus discard them. When Dialga G’s out of Energies, Snap Attack for a 2HKO. This card won’t be great in all matchups, but considering that Dialga/Garchomp is the BDIF right now, I believe it is definitely a necessary tech in SP Decks at least.

pikkdogs

People have been using this card since it came out last summer.

It looked like bad then, it still does now.

Yes you cand load it in one turn and then do 60 damage if there is no energy. But how often is the defending pokemon not going to have energy attached. Like you said Garchomp is one example, but it is not likely. I guess this is a decent tech in a blazeray deck, to get back a kill once they snipe out blaziken, but this doesnt address the problem of hitting dialga, it just lets you get 1 kill. 1 Kill will get you nowhere, you need 6.

There also is gyrados sf that has no energy attached to it. But gyrados has 130 Hp, that means even if they dont attach an energy when they see ambipom, and if you waste a crobat on this move, it will still take you 2 turns to knock him out, just not fast enough in this format. And it would take 3 if gyrados has an expert belt, which is the norm.

Willy G.

Pikkdogs,
Although Garchomp is the primary reason to play this card, it absolutely has other applications. As Renfield89 said: “OHKOs Chatot MD, so that one of your main attackers doens’t have to take the hit, and if you face Dialga G, moving its only Metal during Deafen is very frustrating”.
One of Ambipom G’s best targets is Dialga G, for his ability to move Dialga’s Metal Energies. Ambipom becomes even better with the new rule that cpeterik mentioned, which is that “if you use “Tail Code” to transfer an energy from the defending Pokemon to a GUARDed benched Pokemon, that energy is considered a ‘forced discard’”.
This makes Ambipom G priceless against Dialga/Garchomp. OHKO Garchomp C Lv.X after it uses Dragon Rush, then when they bring out Dialga, keep transferring it’s Metals to a GUARDED guy and thus discard them. When Dialga G’s out of Energies, Snap Attack for a 2HKO. This card won’t be great in all matchups, but considering that Dialga/Garchomp is the BDIF right now, I believe it is definitely a necessary tech in SP Decks at least.

TDA

An amazing garchomp counter,i must say.And tail code is pretty good too
TDA

An amazing garchomp counter,i must say.And tail code is pretty good too
yoyofsho16

Been playing this in decks the past 2 weekends.
It helped me a couple times, but ultimately, Dialga is fading out of play in CC’s, so I didn’t play a Dialga deck either week.

One game, I used Tail Code to move a Fire Energy from Infernape 4 to Claydol, which bought me an extra turn. Tail Code is SUPER useful for this.

Woodstock

Really? I expect to see some Dialga G tomorrow when I visit another CC.

Should have a report on that and I’m going to test this card out when I go there. The problem is, I took out an Unown G in my Palkia Lock deck. Now I have one left. What do you guys think?

1) Keep the two Unown G.
2) Keep 1 Unown G, 1 Ambipom G.

Thanks!

yoyofsho16

Been playing this in decks the past 2 weekends.
It helped me a couple times, but ultimately, Dialga is fading out of play in CC’s, so I didn’t play a Dialga deck either week.

One game, I used Tail Code to move a Fire Energy from Infernape 4 to Claydol, which bought me an extra turn. Tail Code is SUPER useful for this.

Woodstock

Really? I expect to see some Dialga G tomorrow when I visit another CC.

Should have a report on that and I’m going to test this card out when I go there. The problem is, I took out an Unown G in my Palkia Lock deck. Now I have one left. What do you guys think?

1) Keep the two Unown G.
2) Keep 1 Unown G, 1 Ambipom G.

Thanks!

jimbo

If you expect dialga g, go with ambipom G, it will surprise people.
jimbo

If you expect dialga g, go with ambipom G, it will surprise people.
Gengar 101

Woodstock,
I think you should have 1 Unown G and 1 Ambipom G.
Gengar 101

Woodstock,
I think you should have 1 Unown G and 1 Ambipom G.
http://pokemex.com/ ABSOLUTION

Woodstock i’ll try this card too, the force discard ruling is pretty much benefical for Palkia Lock with many decks, SP garchomp based decks shall cry when i play this snap attack is awesome…
http://pokemex.com ABSOLUTION

Woodstock i’ll try this card too, the force discard ruling is pretty much benefical for Palkia Lock with many decks, SP garchomp based decks shall cry when i play this snap attack is awesome…
Soul

I already knew this card, but what? If you Tail Code an Energy to a Guarded Pokémon…the energy card gets discarded?

nardd

That’s correct, there’s an official Pokegym ruling on it.

Ambipom is now in my “good pokemon” binder :D

Soul

I already knew this card, but what? If you Tail Code an Energy to a Guarded Pokémon…the energy card gets discarded?

nardd

That’s correct, there’s an official Pokegym ruling on it.

Ambipom is now in my “good pokemon” binder :D

eondusk

hoho counter for garchomp C is nice
eondusk

hoho counter for garchomp C is nice
Lamar

If you’ve lost the surprise factor against a Dialga G/Garchomp C deck (you either start with Ambipom G or you just knocked out a Garchomp C), and you need to start using “Tail Code,” I would think hard before switching to a “Guarded” Pokemon. A lot of those decks run Conductive Quarry. If you discard a (Special) Metal Energy, they just need to flip a coin to get it back. Whereas if you put a Metal Energy on an Azelf, they would need to retreat the Aelf in order to make the energy accessible again.
Lamar

If you’ve lost the surprise factor against a Dialga G/Garchomp C deck (you either start with Ambipom G or you just knocked out a Garchomp C), and you need to start using “Tail Code,” I would think hard before switching to a “Guarded” Pokemon. A lot of those decks run Conductive Quarry. If you discard a (Special) Metal Energy, they just need to flip a coin to get it back. Whereas if you put a Metal Energy on an Azelf, they would need to retreat the Aelf in order to make the energy accessible again.
yoyofsho16

I thought about that, too. Hitting the G’d Pokemon might not always be best. But Tail Code could be useful against other matchups more so, like games against energy-heavy attackers. In that case, moving the energy to a Guarded Pokemon would probably be best–they would need to burn a recover card (usually) to get the energy back.
yoyofsho16

I thought about that, too. Hitting the G’d Pokemon might not always be best. But Tail Code could be useful against other matchups more so, like games against energy-heavy attackers. In that case, moving the energy to a Guarded Pokemon would probably be best–they would need to burn a recover card (usually) to get the energy back.
Tomic2505

wow, and i thought that this was the most worthless card i could pick from a pack! Thats a great tip:)
Tomic2505

wow, and i thought that this was the most worthless card i could pick from a pack! Thats a great tip:)
poke fart

WOW. I never would have thought of that as a garchomp counter.
poke fart

WOW. I never would have thought of that as a garchomp counter.
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